Tag Archives: Hollywood franchise

Do you ever have the feeling that Hollywood is starting to get a little desperate? Franchises are being rebooted at such a feverish rate. Spiderman, for example, has seen three different faces in such rapid succession that he might as well just wear a sign around his neck that reads “for now, anyway.”

There is, of course, no real question as to why this occurs, given that established characters and franchises have built in audiences. Trying to establish a new franchise means getting filmgoers interested in things they are unfamiliar with, which is incredibly risky. Hence, reworking or rebooting an existing franchise is highly preferable.

Point in case; the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is due for a reboot. Because of course it is, why wouldn’t it be? The only real surprise is that, against the wishes of virtually everyone who ever saw a Pirates of the Caribbean film, Johnny Depp is being dropped as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Dropping The Glue That Held It Together?

If you’ve seen a Pirates of the Caribbean film chances are that one character springs to mind; Captain Jack Sparrow. Let’s just be honest about this, if you were asked to write down the names of the other characters in the franchise, would you be able to do it? If you smugly said yes, then well done, but the vast majority of the rest of the world would not be able to. Which is to say; the entire franchise is more or less based around Jack Sparrow, and Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the rum swigging, savvy-saying, bohemian bedecked pirate character.

So why, exactly, would he be getting dropped from the franchise? It’s sort of like saying you’re planning on making an Indiana Jones film, but there will be no Harrison Ford, or Indiana Jones. Which is happening, just to be clear, and likewise an extremely silly idea. One thing we do know is that he won’t be killed off, he will simply sail off in to the sunset with his rum, never to be heard from again, so our favourite pirate doesn’t even get the chance to die a hero.

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Why Drop Depp?

Johnny Depp is now 55 years old, no spring chicken, but certainly not even remotely too old to be playing major roles in feature length films. Harrison Ford himself is still a working actor, and a rather astonishing 76 years old. Few blame him for demanding that Han Solo be killed off. So why would the decision be made to drop Johnny Depp and attempt to breathe life back into the franchise without him?

Sadly, the very reason that Depp brought such life to Jack Sparrow, being that he isn’t one to play by the rules, and brings his own personal flavour to every role he tackles, is also why he is probably being excluded from having any part in the new films. Which is to say; he makes headlines for all the wrong reasons, and Disney sure isn’t fond of any negative press around its meticulously kept, sparkling reputation.

Your Face Is Bad For Disney

Upon being asked if Depp was being dropped, scriptwriter Stuart Beattie was quick to only declare how great it was that Depp originally played Jack Sparrow, and gave no word on why he was being excluded from future films. A sure sign that he has been given specific instructions on how to handle the question. Envision a giant, red-eyed Mickey Mouse over his shoulder, and you have a pretty good idea.

Depp has been splashed across headlines in recent years for, depressingly, a very public dispute with ex-wife Amber Heard. Extremely vocal claims were made by Heard of domestic violence, to which Depp countered by screaming financial blackmail back in her face. Many celebrities might have made an effort to keep the matter subdued in the media, but Depp did no such thing. He allowed the matter to go public, or at least, made very little effort to keep it silent. A choice on his part, likely due to him refusing to keep silent and simply cough up cash. Brave, but not good for an image.

A truly sad way for Captain Jack Sparrow to be no more, but also an all too common occurrence in the ugly celebrity world. Sorry, Depp, Mickey does not approve.